Netherlands Edition
Regional/Cultural Day
Dag van Europa
The day celebrating the European Union, and the Netherlands was one of the six founding members of the European Economic Community in 1957. The Dutch have a complicated relationship with the European Union: they are generally pro-European (the Netherlands is one of the largest net contributors to the EU budget), but they also value their independence and sovereignty. The day is marked by the opening of the European institutions to the public, and the tradition is to attend a debate, a concert, or a festival. The Netherlands has been a member of the EU since the beginning, and the Dutch flag flies alongside the European flag on all government buildings.
